Steam-trap



(No Model.)

- G; W'. BLAKE.

Steam :Trap.

No. 240,368. Patented April 19,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GEORGE BLAKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO KELLY & JONES OF SAME PLACE AND PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,368, dated April 19, 1881.

' Application filed January 29, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BLAKE, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to what are commonly known as gravity-traps, in which the valve controlling the discharge of water from the trap remains closed until it is opened by the water rising in the receiving-chamber of the trap sufliciently to overflow into a cup-like float contained therein.

The invention consists in the combination,

in a steam-trap, of a receiving-chamber, a discharge-chamber, an inwardly-opening valve for controlling the outlet of water from said discharge-chamber, a lever in the dischargechamber for operating said valve, an open cuplike float in the receiving-chamber, a rod forming a connection between said float and lever, and a discharge-pipe, preferably surrounding said rod, and through which water is discharged from the bottom of said float into said discharge-chamber and thence through said outlet-valve.

It also consists in the combination, with the above float, outlet-valve, and lever, of a screwthreaded stem, by which the valve may be opened when it is desired to let the steam blow through the trap.

It also consists in a novel construction of outlet-valve and valve-seat for a trap, and in details of construction to be hereinafter ex- 5 plained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of a trap constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2 represents an irregular horizontal section upon the dotted line as m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both the figures.

A designates the shell or body of the trap, which constitutes the water-receiving cham- 4 5 her, and B the cover therefor, which is secured to said shell or body by bolts a. The said shell or body A is provided with an inlet steam-pipe, G, and steam from said pipe enters through an opening, 12, and, impinging 5o against'a baffle-plate, c, projecting downward from the cover B, is deprived of a large proportion of the water of condensation which it holds in suspension. The cover B is constructed with a dischargechamber, B, which communicates with the shell or body A by a pipe, D, which, as shown, extends downwardly from the center of the cover; and E designates an outlet-pipe through which water from the chamberBmay escape under control of a suitable valve.

The valve F here shown consists of a cylindric piece fitting at its lower end upon a valve-seat piece, G, which closes the passage d between the chamber B and the outlet E, and provided at its upper end with a collar or flange, e. The seat-piece G is screwed into the passage 61, and is constructed to form a guide for the valve F, said seat being provided with a hole,f, in its upper part, in which the valve F is fitted, and with openings 9 in its sides to permit water to pass through the valveseat.

In the chamber B, immediately over the valve F, is a hole, which is closed by a screwplug, h, in which the valve F is guided, and which provides for cutting a thread for the valve-seat G, and for inserting and removing said valve. This form of valve-seat piece, having a guide for the valve above the seat, is very advantageous, as it gives a full opening through the valve-seat by a very slight opening of the valve. As here shown, the flange or collar 6 is screwed upon the valve F, so as to provide for adjustment, especially after the valve has been reground and thereby shortened, and after adjustment the said flange or collar may be secured by ajam-nut, 6.

Within the chamber B is arranged a lever,

H, which is pivoted or fulcrumed upon a bolt,

I, passing through the chamber B, and one 0 end of said lever is bifurcated so as to embrace the valve F, and when said end is raised is adapted to engage with the collar or flange e, and thus open the valve. Otherwise the valve F remains closed by its weight and the down- 5 ward pressure of water upon it.

In the end of the chamber B is a hole or openin g closed bya screw-plug, t, which provides for readilyinsertin g and removing the lever H, and which also provides for insertinga wire or other I00 device for clearing the opening g or the valveseat itself in case of their becoming, clogged.

J designates a cup-shaped float arranged within the shell or body A, and having rigidly connected with it a stem, K, which extends upward within the pipe D, and is slotted or pro vided with a transverse opening or slot, j, at

its upper end, through which the end of the lever H is inserted. In the bottom of the float J is a small well,j, for draining the float, and the pipe D terminates in said well, its lower end being about coincident with the bottom of the float. So long as the water of condensation in the shell or body A is below the top of the float J the float will be buoyed up, and the end of the lever H which engages with the valve]? will be depressed, and the valve will remain closed; but as soon as the water flows over the edge of the float and collects therein sufflciently to overbalance the buoyancy of the float the said float will fall, and thereby raise the forked end of said lever H into engagement with the collar or flange c and open the valve. The pressure of steam upon the water in the float will then force it up through the pipe D and out the valve F until the buoyancy of the float raises it and permits the closing of the valve, which will remain closed until the water again overflows into the float, when the valve will be again opened.

The arm of the lever H to which is connected the float may be, as here shown, of greater length than the arm to which the valve F is connected, and therefore the float will exert suflicient power to open the valve, even if it should be stuck fast, or whatever the pressure contained in the trap.

In order to enable the valve F to be raised whenever desired to blow through steam,I provide a screw-threaded stem or push-piece, L, inserted through the top of the chamber B, and adapted to be turned by a hand-wheel, L, to depress the end of the lever H to which the float J is connected. In the present instance the stem or push-piece is arranged concentrically over the rod K, and is adapted to bear upon the end thereof.

It is necessary that the steam should not be free to pass into the discharge-ch amber during the ordinary operation of the trap, and the pipe D surrounding the stem or rod K provides for conducting the stem orv rod through the partition separating the receiving-chamberfrom the discharge-chamber without the use of a stuffing-box.

I am aware that traps for returning the wathe float. This construction I do not claim as of, my invention. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a steam-trap, of areceiving-chamber, a discharge-chamber, an inwardly-opening valve for controlling the outlet of water from the discharge-chamber, a lever in the discharge-chamber for operating said valve, an open cup-like float in the receivingcha1nber,a rod forming a connection between said float and lever, and a discharge-pipe, through which water is discharged from the bottom of said float into said discharge-chamber and thence through the outlet-valve, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a steam-trap, of a re ceiving-chamber containing an open cup-like float, a discharge-chamber containing an inwardly-opening outlet-valve,- a lever and rod conhectingsaid float and valve, and a pipe surrounding said rod, through which water is dischaged from the bottom of said float into said discharge-chamber, and thence through the outlet-valve, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a steam-trap, of the outlet-valve F, the float J, having a well, j, the lever H and rod K, connecting said float and valve, and the discharge-pipe D, surrounding said rod and terminating in the well'j, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a steam-trap, of the outlet-valve F, the float J, and lever H and rod K, connecting said float and valve, and the push-piece L, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the valve F and the seat-piece G, having a hole, f, forming a guide for the valve, and openings 9 in its side for the passage of water, substantially as specified.

GEO. W. BLAKE; I

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, E1). GLATZMAYER. 

